Made famous for it's round-up style barbecue,
Santa Maria is the northernmost town in Santa
Barbara county and a popular shopping area for
people in the southern part of San Luis Obispo
county.
The Santa Maria Valley boasts a population near
114,000 and near 80,000 in the town itself.
Vandenberg Air Force base,
well known for "The Range", or it's military
launch facility is a major employer in the area.
Vandenberg employs over 5,000 people and several
major defense contractors have facilites in the
town.
Skywest serves the local
airport and is an alternative to the airport in
San Luis Obispo.